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.-.- '.., ,-I I . •32*ft)•: i ..... »" , 'C& A '.»036.,=% .CA , ./ :.1 ,.71:. .f(27.4 -" I -111-.M 912.....S '* f .1. 41:,42-1 -«.. ..'-----ee# ==*-===7 --. .: .036r CW Witbeck In May 1953 as the diesels were being delivered, MSC no. 150, one of the line's small-drivered 4-6-2 Pacifics, leads 2-8-2 Mikado no. 141 and schedule freight no. 52 east through Brookhaven, the major yard on the MSC. Depots Just as important to a model railroad as its traffic pat- terns are the line's visual features. Obviously the ferry slip afid switchback at Natchai,are.the scenic high point of the line, but equally interesting Visually (and for operations) are the,Mississippi Central'$ depots in the three largest towns. The depot at Hattiesburg was in the first floor of the Hotel Hattiesburg, located'ofi the north side of the business district, which also served as the passenger depot of the Gulf &Ship Island RR Cater IC). At Brookhaven,'an important passenger transfer point, MSC trains ran .8 mile on the Illinois Central double track from the crossing.north of.town to the classic IC depot downtown. There the MSC's turn-of-the-century 4-4-Os and wooden passenger cars provided quite a contrast to the moderntrains of the ICRR. Finally, there was the Natchez depot: a modern, two- story, brick, three4rack, stub-ended freight and passenger station that was unlike anything on any other railroad in the region. This diminutive terminal served the Missouri Pacific passenger trains ferried across the river until the late 1930s and MSC passenger trains until passenger service ended in 1941. It continued to serve as the MSC's Natchez office in later years and still exists as a group of shops in the Natchez tourist district. So model it As would be true for liny.lirototype, modeling the equip- ment and buildings·ekactly will requird. a good deal of kitbashing and even scratchduilding. However, credible diesel- era equipment is available in virtually every scale. For steam-era modelers, prototype drawings for the 120-clas• Mikados begin on page 78. Either the Bachmann or Rivarossi HO 4-4-Os would be a good starting point for passenger power, and LaBelleWoodworking (6509 S. SR 67, Ste. B, Pendleton, IN 46014) has kits for wooden passenger cars in both 0 and HO. Champion offers 0 scale decals for the road name and herald. In HO, the recent Trees and Track series of kits from Walthers can provide material for much of the on-line industry, and its just-released car float from the Waterfront series is very close to the newer barge and could be chopped down for the older one. A modern towboat is available from Harbor & Ocean (P. 0. Box 425, Stockton Springs, ME 04981, 800-448-556D. There have been plastic kits of Mississippi sternwheelers made over the years, and you might be able to use one as 'the basis for modeling the James Y. Lockwood. The most dramatic scenery en route is obviously the switchback climbing the bluffs along the Mississippi River at Natchez. From there east, the line rolls gently up and down (a maximum .75 percent grada) as it crosses theshab low valleys of the many rivers winding south toward the Gulf. Even with all the lumbering, this is lush country and will require a lot of lichen or ground foam to capture the look of it. If you're looking for a change of pace from the Appalachia coal haulers, Rocky Mountain narrow gauge, or • the Granger roads of the Midwest, try heading south to the Natchez Route. 0 MODEL RAILROADER 75 •6.di.=1 -....' 4.2£:4.-AD· ..-=.h'- 5...'•.'-.-. 1 *